Keep Calm Craft On {crafting on}

I'm going to  have to skip one of the projects in this series and come back to it.  The tapestry or 'sewn' picture. My dose of the shingles followed by wisdom tooth removal disaster has put me behind with my course homework.  Having spoken to people who took this course last year, the tapestry is a challenge to finish even without setbacks!  Tapestry is a Class 4 project, so on to Class 5 - crochet!

In Australia crochet is introduded quite a bit later than in Europe (I'm not sure about the US?) And the main reason is because of the style of knitting that is taught.  In Europe, the continental style of knitting is introduced at Class 1.  It is actually very similar to crochet in regards to tension and how the wool is held, so by Class 2, these kids are ready for crochet.  Over here in Australia however, we learn the traditional technique of knitting and delay crochet until Class 5

In our class we were encouraged as the Class 5 kids are, to experiment with a flat piece of crochet, back and forth turning the work at each end.  Next we worked on a circle.  Instead of counting stitches in each round we were asked to feel whether the work needed more increases in stitches - ie. it was starting to curl up or needed fewer increases -  ie. it was starting to go curly. I have to admit that I counted my stitches and only increased as per a traditional circle pattern.  I can imagine this 'counting' being quite challenging for a 10/11 year old, so I completely agree with the method shown to us for teaching children. 

Once our circles were big enough we finished increasing and crochet until our piece was big enough to be a child's backpack.  This is exactly what the kids at our school make for their crochet project. It is so lovely to see them being used as their school bags.
 

There are a million crochet tutorials on the internet so I'm not going to go into the nitty gritty here.
And there is no real pattern for this backpack.  The flap is a made by working back and forth once the bag is deep enough and the strap, which is sewn on, is a simple rectangle.  My one went to the smallest of our family, Sadhbh, who will be starting kinder next year.  As you can imagine, I have orders for three more . . . !

See what other folk have been crafting at Nicole's place today.  

Keep Calm Craft On {crafting on}

There's a little florist called Cecilia Fox near where I live.  I have to drive by it on the way to and from school pickup.   The last week or so there's been an exhibition featuring the woven work of Maryanne Moody.  

Alongside the exhibition is a project called Weave a While.  A (rather large) loom has been suspended in the shop window with a basket of very random wool underneath. Anyone is welcome to come in and have a go at finger weaving a section or two.  So at the weekend I went along and gave it  try.  I could have been there all day to be honest.  It is rather addictive, not to mention time consuming.  And the best bit  - I'm entered in the competition to win the finished piece.

Happily this coincides perfectly with the next project we are starting at craft curriculum this week. A woven picture, all be it on a much smaller scale.  I'm super excited to start weaving and sharing my work with you here.

See what other folk have been crafting at Nicole's place today.  

Yarn Along

 

I will not play yarn chicken.

I will not play yarn chicken.

I will not play yarn chicken.

Who am I trying to kid, I'm so playing yarn chicken. How do you hand-spinners out there manage it? How do you determine 'how much' you need for a sweater? I really think that I'm going to be fine, (I keep saying to myself at the end of ever couple of rows) but there is a niggling feeling at the back of my mind, that I may run out - and there is no more of this particular wool in the whole entire world! And I will have to pull it all out and start again in a smaller size.  But no, I really do think I'm going to be fine!  

Prince Caspian is not disappointing in the adventure department.  Thoroughly thrilling adventure. 

Happy Knitting!

Keep Calm Craft On {crafting on}

As the craft course progresses, the projects become bigger and more involved.  Class 4 fair isle knitting followed on from the cross stitch.   I guess this this is the culmination of the knitting projects as crochet is introduced in Class 5.  Crochet is introduced in class two in European schools as it is very similar to the continental style knitting taught there).



With 16 ply wool on 6mm needles ,we had some simple rules to follow. Only two colours per row and no more than 5 stitches in any one pattern repeat(to prevent long threads at the back) Other than that it was all about experimenting.  From the experimentation you begin to see patterns popping out and eventually, through the 'doing' you begin too find a rhythm to the patterns. I think the patterns at the back are quite beautiful too.  

 Usually I would work out a pattern on paper before I began anything like this, so it was refreshing to be allowed to simply experiment and see what happened.  I imagine it must be magical for the children to see for themselves. Following a brief steam with the iron,  I sewed mine into a tea cosy, but commonly vests, bags or hot water bottle covers can be made from the finished piece.  I also made a smaller sampler on 4mm needles with 8 ply (and bent the rules slightly using 3 colours on one row!).  I sewed this up into a wee doll.

 

See what other folk have been crafting at Nicole's place today.  

Yarn Along

Making progress on Tea with Jan & Bread. Using this beautiful dark handspun alpaca.  Its fluffy and delicious and I think it will turn out to be a fluffy delicious jumper.  She wants something "comfy that makes me want to stroll through the country side with a thermos of hot chocolate." I think it will fulfill that request.  Personally I love how there are lots of little bits of twigs and gorse stuck in the wool.  Do you love knitting with handspun?

We are well into Prince Caspian now.  Its shaping up to be a great adventure and the kids are delighted that young Lucy, Susan, Edmund and Peter are back for this one.

 Osgar has started a third day of Kinder this term.  Its made a huge difference to my week.  The balance has tipped and the two days we now spend together are precious.  I'm adoring and grateful for the extended time I now have with my baby big 2 year old.  She is as cute as a button, a little joker, thoroughly independent and... she naps.  Two hours if I leave her.  My house is a quiet, peaceful bomb site.  Almost bliss. Its a stunningly beautiful Melbourne winters day today, not a cloud in the sky. I went to the market this morning to listen to Dear Ceder sing, have a coffee with Belinda and knit handspun alpaca in the sunshine. Beautiful.  You can't help but be happy on a sunny Winter's day can ya? Is the sun shining where you are? Is there a simle on your face too?

Happy Knitting!

Yarn Along

Socks for Little Witches. A second pair of socks using this Poems sock wool.  These are for Tadhg for her 7th birthday (which is ages away).  I'm prepared early because I've just committed to a big knitting project for a client, which involves kilos of the most beautiful handspun alpaca wool and a lovely Heidi Kirrmaier pattern.

We finished The Horse and His Boy and the fourth Narnia book starts tonight. Prince Caspian. I can't say enough how thoroughly I'm enjoying these books.  Dubhessa, who's 8 1/2 is following along pretty well, Tadhg who's nearly 7 doesn't seem to be understanding so much of the detail, but shes happy to listen and is concerned and relieved in the appropriate places!  I'm delighted to be reading well written beautiful stories that appeal to both me and them.

The pile of knitted squares from Class Two Friday knitting sessions is growing steadily.  I'll be sewing these into a blanket before the end of term I reckon.  I was prepared for a reasonable variation in sizes from square to square, but it will be a challenge to make an even shaped blanket none the less.





 

Happy Knitting!

Yarn Along

I went wool shopping yesterday. I went here -they have all types of lush stuff.  I wandered around for ages, I'm so indecisive in places like that. Places where I just want to buy everything.  I once spent an hour and a half in a wool shop in Dublin. Is that normal? They we're nearly ready to offer me a cup of tea, in fact if I ever own a wool shop I think cups of tea for customers like me will be mandatory.  I'll have a kettle on the boil and a couple of nice comfy chairs and access to Ravelry all over the place.

Anway, I wanted some special wool for a scarf for my mums birthday. She's into pinks.  I wanted a little silky something, but all the Noro there was so dark.  In the end they had a sample lacy scarf beside the Zauberball stand and it looked pretty nice, so I went with that. I cast on three different scarves before I settled on this one. Its an easy repeat I can pick it up and put it down.  I'm still obsessing about Petra. I may just have to order some wool for it right now!

I'm reading my Frankie mag.  My beautiful sister got me another years subscription.  Its the best.

Happy Knitting!